Shoe tree



Oct. 3, 1944. DROLL 2,359,469 I 4 SHOE TREE Filed Dec. 13, 1945 1%06/7755 baa 072 ir-0]! 5y 22 M 4 Patented Oct. 3, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,359,469 SHOE TREE Joseph W. Droll, Wilmette, Ill.

Application December 13, 1943, Serial No. 514,009

11 Claims.

The invention relates to shoe-trees.

One object of the invention is to provide a shoe-tree which comprises a fore member and a heel engaging member and a device which is adapted to expand the members to distend the shoe after the entire shoe-tree with the expanding device has been set into the shoe.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shoe-tree which comprises an adjusting device which compresses slidably overlapping stems and a collar by which the fore and heel members may be shifted for distending shoes of a Wide range of lengths.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shoe-tree which is simple in operation, can be manufactured at a low cost, and efficient in distending shoes of diiferent lengths.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the detail description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a shoe-tree exemplifying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the stem which is pivoted to the fore member of the shoe-tree.

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the heel member of the shoe-tree and the stem thereon.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the fore member.

Fig. 6 is a sectional perspective of the collar for slidably shifting the stems on the members.

Fig. 7 is a perspective of a modified form of the fore member.

The invention is exemplified in a shoe-tree comprising a member 8 which is adapted tofit snugly into the heel portion of a shoe and is provided with a knob or handle 9 for convenience in placing the tree into and removing it from the shoe. The shoe-tree also comprises a fore member III which is adapted to fit into the toe and instep or arch portions of the shoe and on the sole of the shoe. The fore member ID is provided with a recess I I in its upper and rear portion and with ventilating slots I2.

The fore and heel members are connected for expansion to distend the shoe after the shoe-tree has been placed into the shoe, and contraction for removal of the tree from the shoe, by a stem I 6 which is rigid with and extends longitudinally forward from the heel member which is pivotally connected by a transverse pin I4 to, and is housed in, the recess II in the fore member I 9, and a collar I8 which fits and is rotatable around both of the stems I6 and IT.

The stems I6 and Il extend longitudinally through the collar I8, are semi-cylindrical in cross section, and have fiat mating surfaces 23, 24, respectively. The stems I6 and I! overlap each other between the fore and heel members and their flat faces engage each other for relative sliding movement. The collar I8 has a bore which extends longitudinally therethrough so that both of the overlapping stems canslide through the collar. The semi-cylindrical peripheral surface of the stem I1 is provided adjacent the head I3 with semi-circular or circumferentially sectional right-hand screw threads or helical ribs 20. The semi-cylindrical peripheral surface of stem I6 is provided adjacent the member 8 with semi-circular or circumferentially sectional left-hand screw threads or helical ribs 22. The front end of the bore of collar .I8 is provided with a righthand female screw thread I9 which engages the threads 20 on the front end of the stem I'I. The rear end of the bore of collar I8 is provided with a left-hand screw thread 2| for engaging the threads 22 on stem It. The semi-cylindrical surface of stem II which extends rearwardly from the threads 20, slidably fits the inner periphery of the thread 2| in the collar I8 to permit the rear portion of said stem to slide through the screw thread 2 I. The semi-cylindrical portion of the stem I6 which projects forwardly from its screw thread 22 slidably fits the inner periphery of the screw thread I9 to permit said stem to slide through said screw thread I9. In this construction the rearwardly slidable stems are held together in mating relation by the collar and the stems are slidable in opposite directions through and by rotation of the collar. The flat mating faces also prevent relative rotation of the stems in the collar. The free or rear end of stem I! is adapted to slide into a semi-cylindrical socket 25 which conforms to the cross-sectional shape of said end of the stem and is formed in the heel member 8. The free or front end of stem I6 is adapted to slide into a semi-cylindrical socket 26 which conforms to the cross-sectional shape of said end of said stem and is formed in the head I3.

In this construction the overlapped and relatively slidable stems are supported by the heel and fore members and conjointly support the collar I3 for rotation around the overlapping stems and the stems are relatively slidable to expand and contract the members by rotation of the collar in opposite directions. This construction also provides for an extended range of adjustment between the members so that the shoetree will be adapted for distending shoes of substantially different lengths. The socket in heel member 8 and head l3 for the stems permit a substantial range of movement for this purpose. The outer periphery of collar [8 is preferably grooved or fluted as at 21 to provide a surface which can be easily gripped in rotating the collar.

The head l3 to which stem I! is attached, forms a central and upper sectionof the fore member and is provided with an arcuate bottom surface and the recess I2 in the member ID is conformably curved to permit the heel member, head I3, stems l6 and I1 and the collar [8 to be conjointly and pivotally moved around pin M to facilitate the insertion of the member H! by a direct forward movement into the shoe. This pivotal connection also facilitates the removal of the fore member from the shoe when the heel member 8 is slightly retracted.

In the use of the shoe-tree the collar I8 is rotated to bring the heel and fore members sufficiently close to permit the entire assembly to be inserted into the shoe. After the assembly has been placed in the shoe, the rotation of the collar I8 in one direction will slide the stems l and I1 and the members apart to distend the shoe to the desired extent. In this rotation of a the collar l8 its right and left hand screw connections with the stems function to spread the members apart both for adjustment to permit the shoe-tree to be inserted into and removed from the shoe and to distend the shoe after such insertion, as well as to permit the members to be contracted sufficiently for the removal of. the tree from the shoe.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. '7, the stem ll is rigid with or integrally formed with the fore member Ill This simplifies the device. The range of adjustment of the mating stems by the collar I8 is sumcient to permit the heel member to be adjusted sufficiently close to the fore member to permit the free insertion of the assembly forwardly and downwardly into the shoe and to spread the members apart by rotation of the collar after insertion.

The invention exemplifies a shoe-tree which is simple in construction and composed of relatively few parts. A single adjusting device, such 7 ent lengths and for the insertion of the tree into and its removal from the shoe. The stems may be attached or rigidly integrally formed to the heel and fore members. The construction lends itself to the formation of the parts of suitable plastic material for production at a low cost.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

' Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: r I

l. A shoe-tree comprising a fore member, a heel member, slidably overlapping stems, one of which is rigid with the heel member and the other of which is connected to the fore member, a. collar encircling and rotatable around the overlapped stems, and means between the collar and both of the stems for longitudinally and slidably shifting the. stems and adjusting the spacing between the members by rotation of the collar after the members with their stems and the collar have been placed in the shoe.

2. A shoe-tree comprising a fore member, a heel member, slidably overlapping stems, one of which is rigid with the heel member and the other of which is pivotally connected to the fore member, a collar encircling and rotatable around the overlapped stems, and means between the collar and both of the stems for longitudinally and slidably shifting the stems and adjusting the spacing between the members by rotation of the collar after the members with their stems and the collar have been placed in the shoe.

3. A shoe-tree comprising a fore member, a heel member, slidably overlapping stems, one of which is rigid with the heel member and the other of which is rigid with the fore member, a I

collar encircling and rotatable around the overlapped stems, and means between the collar and both of the stems for longitudinally and slidably shifting the stems and adjusting the spacing between the members by rotation of the collar after the members with their stems and the collar have been placed in the shoe.

4. A shoe-tree comprising a fore member, a heel member, slidably overlappingstems, one of which is rigid with the one member and the other of which is connected to the other member, a collar encircling and rotatable around both stems and provided with a bore through which the free ends of both stems are slidable, and means between the collar and both stems'for slidably shifting the stems and adjusting the spacing between the members by rotation of the collar after the members have been placed in the shoe.

5. A shoe-tree comprising a fore member, a heel member, slidably overlapping stems-one of which is rigid with the one member and the other of which is connected to the other member, a collar encircling and rotatable around both stems and provided with a bore through which both stems are free to slide, and means between the collar and both stems for slidably shifting the stems in opposite directions and adjusting the spacing between the members by rotation of the collar after the members have been placed in the shoe, the members being provided with sockets into which the opposite ends of the stems are adapted to slide.

6. A shoe-tree comprising a fore member, a heel member, slidably overlapping stems connected to the members, respectively, the stems being provided on oppositely disposed peripheral portions with circumferentially sectional screw threads of opposite trend, and a collar encircling the overlapped portions of the stems and provided with screw threads of opposite trend, and means on the stem engaged by the threads on the collar for'longitudinally and slidably shifting the stems in opposite directions and adjusting the spacing between the members while they are in the shoe.

'7. A shoe-tree comprising a fore member a heel member, stems substantially semi-cylindrical in cross-section, having flat slidably engaging flat faces connected to the members, respectively, a collar encircling and rotatable around both stems, and means between oppositely disposed peripheral portions of the stems and the collar for longitudinally and slidably shifting the stems in oppo-.

site directions and adjusting the spacing between the members by rotation of the collar while the members are in the shoe.

8. A shoe-tree comprising a fore member, a heel member, stems substantially semi-cylindrical in cross-section, having flat slidably engaging fiat faces connected to the members, respectively, the stems being provided on oppositely disposed peripheral portions with circumferentially sectional screw threads of opposite trend, and a collar encircling and rotatable around both stems and provided with means for engaging the threads on both stems and longitudinally sliding the stems in opposite directions in the collar and adjusting the spacing between the members while they are in the shoe.

9. A shoe-tree comprising a fore member, a heel member, slidably overlapping stems connected to the members, respectively, each member being provided with a socket into which the stem on the other member is slidable, the stems being provided on oppositely disposed peripheral portions with circumferentially sectional screw threads of opposite trend, and a collar encircling and rotatable around the overlapped stems and provided with screw threads for engaging the threads on and slidably shifting the stems and adjusting the spacing between the members while they are in the shoe.

10. A shoe-tree comprising a fore member, a

heel member, slidably overlapping stems connected to the members, respectively, the stems :being provided on oppositely disposed peripheral portions with circumferentially sectional screw threads of opposite trend, and a collar encircling and rotatable around the overlapped stems and provided with screw threads for engaging the threads on both stems and longitudinally adjusting the members while they are in the shoe, the stems being extended to pass entirely through the collar.

11. A shoe-tree comprising a fore member, a heel member, stems substantially semi-cylindrical in cross-section, havin fiat slidably engaging fiat faces connected to the members, respectively, a collar encircling and rotatable around both stems, and means between oppositely disposed peripheral portions of the stems and the collar for longitudinally and slidably shifting the stems in opposite directions and adjusting the spacing between the members by rotation of the collar while the members are in the shoe, the members being provided with sockets into which the stems are slidalble, respectively.

JOSEPH W. DROLL. 

